Environmental Integration in the EU's External Relations: Beyond multilateral dimensions

This book is the product of a long journey of reflection, which the authors planned as doctoral students at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence in 2006 and finally completed at the Edinburgh University School of Law in June 2011.The book examines the integration of environmental protection requirements into EU external relations focusing on unilateral, bilateral and inter-regional instruments, which have been less explored than the multilateral dimension of EU environmental policy. The book also explores for the first time the complex interplay and mutual influences between EU environmental integration initiatives and environmental multilateralism. On the one hand it identifies the legal and other instruments used by the EU to support the implementation of multilateral environmental agreements in third countries (particularly developing ones). On the other hand, it singles out the legal and other tools employed by the EU as a means to build partnerships with third countries in order to influence ongoing multilateral negotiations concerning the environment and sustainable development, or to contribute to the development of new international environmental norms in the absence of such multilateral negotiations. Ultimately, the book traces the significant evolution of the various tools deployed by the EU to integrate environmental concerns in its external relations, with a view to identifying emerging challenges and future directions.-- The EU legal and policy framework -- Environmental integration in bilateral/inter-regional agreements -- Environmental integration in the Generalised System of Preferences -- Environmental integration in external assistance -- Environmental integration in institutionalised dialogues -- Environmental integration through Sustainability Impact Assessments -- Supporting environmental multilateralis